day five!!! Mysophobia, also known as verminophobia, germophobia, germaphobia, bacillophobia and bacteriophobia, is a pathological fear of contamination and germs. The phobia is often linked to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), but people who don't have OCD can have it as well. Common symptoms of mysophobia include behaviors that are used to avoid exposure to germs or contamination. These symptoms may include: - Avoiding places that are thought to contain a lot of germs or dirt - Extreme fear of becoming contaminated - Excessive hand washing - Obsessing over cleanliness - Overusing cleaning or sanitizing products If you have mysophobia, you may experience certain symptoms when you are exposed to dirt or bacteria. Such symptoms can include: - Crying - Heart palpitations - Shaking - Sweating Mysophobia goes beyond disliking germs and dirt. People with this condition have an intense and excessive fear that causes them to avoid any person, object, or situation that might lead to contamination. The exact causes of mysophobia are not entirely clear, although a number of different factors are believed to play a role. Some things that can increase the risk of developing a phobia such as mysophobia include: - Genetics: Research indicates that phobias may be tied to genetics, so having a family history of anxiety, depression, or other phobias can indicate a higher risk of developing the condition. - Brain structure: Differences in the brain may increase a person's risk of developing anxiety conditions such as specific phobias. - Trauma: This may involve having a family member die from illness, or any other losses due to infection - Other mental health conditions: Having another mental health condition may make it more likely that a person develops mysophobia. Research indicates that approximately 61% of people who have specific phobias have another mental disorder, such as depression, another anxiety disorder, a mood disorder, or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) - Environment: Being exposed to cultural ideas about cleanliness and germs may contribute to the onset of mysophobia.
So this is kinda a boredom thing, and very much inspired by Jessica Lauser on youtube and tiktok! Check her out (but keep in mind that she's infinitely better than I am when it comes to detail, so there are very realistic depictions of snakes and spiders, as well as body horror, gore, etc. )
